NameCensus.

UK surname

Hurley

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hUirthile, meaning "descendant of Urthile," a personal name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 3,477 people recorded with the Hurley surname, ranking it #1,307 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,921, ranked #978, up from #1,307 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and St George in the East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Newport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hurley is 7,317 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 99.1%.

1881 census count

3,477

Ranked #1,307

Modern count

6,921

2016, ranked #978

Peak year

1999

7,317 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hurley had 3,477 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,307 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,921 in 2016, ranked #978.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,836 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hurley surname distribution map

The map shows where the Hurley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Hurley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hurley over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,032 #1,431
1861 historical 1,841 #1,568
1881 historical 3,477 #1,307
1891 historical 3,445 #1,382
1901 historical 4,246 #1,326
1911 historical 4,836 #1,078
1997 modern 6,964 #935
1998 modern 7,266 #934
1999 modern 7,317 #933
2000 modern 7,147 #952
2001 modern 7,008 #946
2002 modern 7,165 #941
2003 modern 6,920 #952
2004 modern 6,959 #946
2005 modern 6,858 #949
2006 modern 6,813 #959
2007 modern 6,893 #958
2008 modern 6,884 #964
2009 modern 7,029 #965
2010 modern 7,216 #958
2011 modern 7,110 #961
2012 modern 7,002 #949
2013 modern 7,110 #958
2014 modern 7,130 #960
2015 modern 6,990 #974
2016 modern 6,921 #978

Geography

Back to top

Where Hurleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St George in the East, London parishes and St Mary Whitechapel. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Newport and Caerphilly. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 St George in the East London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 1
5 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bridgend 001 Bridgend
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 030 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Newport 019 Newport
4 Newport 018 Newport
5 Caerphilly 018 Caerphilly

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hurley

These lists show first names that appear often with the Hurley surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hurley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hurley, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Hurley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hurley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hurley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hurley is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hurley falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hurley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hurley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hurley

The surname Hurley has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó hUirthile, which means "descendant of Uirthile." Uirthile was a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "oir," meaning "green," suggesting that the original bearer may have had a connection to a green or verdant place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hurley can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, the name appears as "O'Hurley" in reference to a family from County Limerick in the 13th century.

The name Hurley is predominantly associated with the counties of Cork and Limerick, where several prominent families bearing this surname resided. One notable figure was Patrick Hurley (c. 1529-1584), an Irish Roman Catholic bishop who served as the Archbishop of Cashel from 1568 until his death.

In the 16th century, the Hurley surname was also found in the Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland. Records from this period mention a family named "O'Hurley" as landowners on the island of Inishmore.

As the name Hurley spread across Ireland, it underwent various spelling variations, including Hurly, Hurlee, and Hurlie. These variations reflected the phonetic adaptations of the name in different regions.

Outside of Ireland, the Hurley surname can be traced back to England in the 17th century, where it was likely adopted by Irish immigrants. One notable English bearer of the name was William Hurley (1629-1689), a Royalist army officer who fought in the English Civil War.

Another prominent figure with the Hurley surname was John Hurley (1786-1865), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the 38th Mayor of New York City from 1863 to 1864.

In the United States, the Hurley surname gained further recognition with individuals like Patrick Hurley (1883-1963), an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the United States Secretary of War under President Herbert Hoover.

Other notable individuals with the Hurley surname include Denis Hurley (1915-2004), a South African Roman Catholic bishop who played a significant role in the opposition to apartheid, and Elizabeth Hurley (born 1965), an English actress and model.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hurley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hurley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 813 Hurleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.39x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 813 2.39x
Somerset 444 8.10x
Surrey 335 2.02x
Lancashire 281 0.70x
Glamorgan 229 3.86x
Staffordshire 127 1.10x
Gloucestershire 126 1.89x
Kent 125 1.08x
Warwickshire 120 1.40x
Monmouthshire 105 4.26x
Devon 103 1.45x
Worcestershire 99 2.22x
Essex 81 1.20x
Yorkshire 79 0.23x
Hampshire 49 0.70x
Cheshire 47 0.62x
Derbyshire 33 0.62x
Berkshire 25 0.98x
Cornwall 24 0.62x
Northamptonshire 22 0.69x
Cumberland 21 0.72x
Wiltshire 21 0.70x
Lanarkshire 18 0.16x
Sussex 18 0.31x
Oxfordshire 15 0.71x
Leicestershire 14 0.37x
Carmarthenshire 13 0.91x
Royal Navy 13 3.20x
Suffolk 13 0.31x
Herefordshire 11 0.79x
Channel Islands 10 0.99x
Durham 9 0.09x
Lincolnshire 9 0.17x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.51x
Hertfordshire 7 0.30x
Norfolk 4 0.08x
Ayrshire 3 0.12x
Northumberland 2 0.04x
Radnorshire 2 0.73x
Stirlingshire 2 0.16x
Anglesey 1 0.17x
Angus 1 0.03x
Bedfordshire 1 0.06x
Berwickshire 1 0.24x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.05x
Denbighshire 1 0.08x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Fife 1 0.05x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.02x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.09x
Perthshire 1 0.07x
Renfrewshire 1 0.04x
Shropshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 70 Hurleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.36x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 70 2.36x
St George In East London 61 19.03x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 56 8.90x
Liverpool 56 2.28x
Whitechapel London 56 16.67x
Mile End Old Town London 52 7.17x
Bermondsey 51 5.03x
Southwark St John 50 47.98x
Birmingham 47 1.64x
Poplar London 47 7.31x
Cannington 46 282.38x
St Woollos 46 16.73x
Bethnal Green London 45 3.04x
Cardiff St Mary 41 12.55x
Merthyr Tydfil 38 6.66x
Cardiff St John 36 18.58x
Shadwell London 35 36.71x
Bridgewater 34 22.83x
West Ham 33 2.22x
Clerkenwell London 31 3.85x
Bedminster 30 5.82x
Dudley 29 5.36x
Great Bolton 29 5.42x
Islington London 29 0.88x
Kingswinford 29 6.94x
Bromley London 27 3.60x
Llandaff 27 13.68x
St Marylebone London 27 1.48x
Hackney London 26 1.36x
Manchester 26 1.43x
Oldbury 26 11.88x
St Andrew Holborn London 26 17.62x
Battersea 25 1.99x
Mile End New Town London 25 37.14x
Ratcliffe London 23 12.22x
Weston Super Mare 23 16.61x
Aston 22 0.93x
Camberwell 22 1.01x
Deptford St Paul 21 2.34x
Rotherhithe 21 4.99x
Stogursey 21 142.66x
Swansea Town 21 4.32x
Woolwich 20 4.66x
Chelsea London 19 1.85x
Kensington London 18 0.95x
St Clement Danes London 18 25.52x
Limehouse London 17 4.54x
Taunton St James 17 21.25x
Bulkington 16 86.16x
Greenwich 16 2.95x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 2.33x
St Giles In Fields London 15 8.97x
Williton 15 81.65x
Bedwellty 13 2.99x
Blackburn 13 1.21x
Newcastle Higher 13 32.27x
Royal Navy 13 3.75x
Shoreditch London 13 0.88x
Westminster St John 13 3.13x
Blagdon 12 103.90x
Bristol St George 12 3.88x
Cleckheaton 12 9.65x
Ealing 12 3.94x
Halifax 12 2.42x
Hammersmith London 12 1.43x
Mapledurham 12 243.90x
North Petherton 12 27.12x
Aberavon 11 20.15x
Birkenhead 11 1.83x
Bishops Lydeard 11 78.57x
Bow London 11 2.54x
Bromsgrove 11 7.35x
Burnley 11 3.23x
Charlinch 11 474.14x
Cheltenham 11 2.13x
Clevedon 11 19.28x
Oldham 11 0.84x
Plumstead 11 2.84x
St Luke London 11 2.01x
St Pancras London 10 0.36x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hurley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 284
Elizabeth 121
Ellen 102
Sarah 102
Margaret 74
Catherine 58
Eliza 52
Annie 51
Ann 48
Jane 44
Alice 39
Emma 37
Bridget 34
Hannah 32
Emily 31
Julia 30
Kate 25
Maria 21
Charlotte 19
Clara 19
Florence 19
Harriet 18
Fanny 16
Louisa 15
Caroline 13
Esther 11
Martha 11
Ada 10
Edith 10
Frances 10
Rose 10
Anne 9
Harriett 8
Isabella 8
Matilda 8
Amelia 7
Catharine 7
Norah 7
Rebecca 7
Susan 7
Agnes 6
Jessie 6
Laura 6
Lucy 6
Anna 5
Bessie 5
Cathrine 5
Katherine 5
Lizzie 5
Margt. 5

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hurley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 255
William 186
James 165
Thomas 127
George 72
Patrick 61
Michael 60
Henry 54
Charles 49
Edward 45
Joseph 41
Daniel 40
Timothy 32
Richard 28
Alfred 26
Robert 26
Jeremiah 24
Dennis 20
Frederick 19
Samuel 19
Arthur 18
Albert 17
David 16
Walter 16
Cornelius 15
Francis 12
Edwin 10
Denis 9
Frank 9
Harry 9
Thos. 9
Fred 7
Herbert 7
Mathew 7
J. 6
Peter 6
Ernest 5
Maurice 5
Andrew 4
Bartholomew 4
Chas. 4
Fredk. 4
Mark 4
Martin 4
Stephen 4
Harold 3
Henery 3
Jno. 3
Josiah 3
Randle 3

FAQ

Hurley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hurley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,477 people were recorded with the Hurley surname. That placed it at #1,307 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hurley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,921 in 2016. That gives Hurley a modern rank of #978.

What does the Hurley surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hUirthile, meaning "descendant of Urthile," a personal name of unknown meaning.

What does the Hurley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hurley bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.